My kids and I were somewhere near the intersection of state routes 66 and 47 in western Ohio when I had the epiphany – Ms. Marvel isn’t that bad.
We’ll get to what caused such a Marvel milestone in a second.
It’s been quite some time since I’ve written any articles for The M6P (years in fact). After the realization that I may have been completely wrong about one of the Marvel characters I have loathed since her inception, I had to take a cold hard long look in the bathroom mirror when we finally got home that day and question everything I have ever known about myself:
Who am I?
Where am I going in life to lead me to this failure as a father?
Am I a terrible human being for now thinking Ms. Marvel isn’t all that bad, just mostly bad?
In the past, I’ve been quite vocal both on the various social media platforms The M6P can be found on (as well as our Youtube shows) regarding my disdain for Ms. Marvel’s character in both the comics and film. I realize there are many who aren’t fans of the character and who are fans of her but for me, I just always have viewed her as sort of a “forced creation” for the sake of providing more diversity into the Marvel Universe. I have felt this way about other. more recent Marvel character creations as well. While ultimately a number of factors contribute to my feelings about these types of forced characters, it really comes down to the simple fact that I’m just old school and don’t like change just for the sake of change.
So now that that is all out of the way on to why I Darrin J. Michael, now at 40 years of age, have finally decided that Ms. Marvel isn’t a complete steaming pile of unnecessariness as a superhero character.
As I had originally mentioned, I had been out traveling with my kids when this epiphany hit me harder than the time the Hulk smashed that Chitauri spaceship with a single punch in the first Avengers movie. (Best Hulk scene in any MCU movie ever by the way.)
Prior to the Ms. Marvel epiphany, the kids and I had been hanging out at the beach at a nearby state park doing some sweet cannonballs and writing very deep-meaning Haiku’s in the goose-poo-covered sand. We eventually saw storm clouds on the horizon so we packed up our towels along with what spicy pork rinds, Capri Suns, and Little Debbie snacks we had left and hit the road to head back home on State Route 66. It was as we were approaching the intersection of State Route 47 when things started getting interesting.
“Dad LOOK! It’s Ms. Marvel,” my son suddenly yelled with glee from the back seat.
At first, I didn’t know what he was referencing but was immediately appalled nonetheless. The nerve of him. How dare my 4-year-old son speak of a Marvel character I have not introduced him to or even mentioned in his presence.
“How do you know who Ms. Marvel even is? I raised you better than this!”
“On the sign look,” he said pointing.
I then noticed he was pointing at a billboard on the side of the road we were getting ready to pass. However, this was no billboard for Ms. Marvel. No, no, no…it was a billboard for an insurance agency that featured an African American lady wearing a blue pants suit with a superhero mask and cap flying towards outer space with text that read “We’re here for you anytime – 24/7!” on it.
In my son’s defense, the cartoon insurance lady did bare a striking resemblance to Miss Kamala Khan, so he genuinely thought it was her. And while I was proud he took the initiative to make a random Marvel reference while we were out driving in the middle of nowhere, I still couldn’t but help be disappointed in myself that I had let him down. Somewhere along the line I taught him it was ok to like Ms. Marvel as a character and failed him as father along the way.
I finally asked him, “Where have you seen Ms. Marvel from?”
“Spidey and His Amazing Friends,” he quickly and as matter-of-factly responded without missing a beat.
It started to make sense now. You see, my son is a HUGE fan of the “Spidey and His Amazing Friends” cartoon on Disney Plus. He watches at least one episode every day before bed and it just so happens Ms. Marvel is a recurring guest on the series. I was so relieved to know that it wasn’t me who had led my son on such a reckless path.
Then I started thinking even more about my own upbringing and introduction to the comic characters I grew up loving and WHY I loved them. For myself, I enjoyed waking up every Saturday morning knowing there was a new episode of X-Men: The Animated Series that was going to air. I even remember fighting with my parents about having to go to my little league soccer games on Saturdays instead of getting to stay home and watch X-Men. I LIVED AND BREATHED that universe when it came out and loved all of the characters.
As I continued the drive home from the lake, I began to realize that feeling of absolute love and admiration I had for watching the X-Men show is the same feeling my son has towards watching his “Spidey and His Amazing Friends” characters. They are his version of my X-Men cartoon in a weird way. The show is also one of the ways he’s began to learn about and love the Marvel Universe. If Ms. Marvel is part of the reason why then that’s just fine by me.
It can be quite easy for comic fans (myself included) to say, “That’s not my Marvel character so I don’t like them!” I think what’s important to remember is that not all Marvel characters are for everyone and that’s ok. We live in a time where everyone is quick to attack everyone else’s views or opinions (on literally any topic) as wrong rather than having a simple, educated discussion.
I don’t like Ms. Marvel but I guess she’s not that bad and my son likes her.
And besides, the Hulk’s still his favorite.
